


It's not red, it's carmine

by AngstyWriter



Series: Grumpy reylo holidays [2]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Animal Therapy, Ben Hates Hallmark, Ben Hates Valentines Day, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Ben Solo the Artist and the ballad of naming every color, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Maz is a dirty old lady living life to the fullest, Rey is going to cheer her grumpy boyfriend up if its the last thing she does, Reylo - Freeform, Sweet, color porn, dimple love, even when food doesn't work, grumpy reylo holidays, hair play, just light angst tho, soft, this is a continuation of my Christmas 2019 fic, understanding gentle and tall, valentines day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-12 18:10:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22731955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngstyWriter/pseuds/AngstyWriter
Summary: Ben has had bad experiences with Valentines Day in the past, and even though everything has been going great since meeting Rey on Christmas, he can't seem to shake off the intrusive thoughts that started a week before V day. Rey is going to fix that though with a dash of scheming, food, some animal therapy, and a little help from Maz.This is a continuation of the story of the Ben and Rey I started writing in my Christmas one shot last year (2019), The Frozen Pond. Here they try to go on a stereotypical Valentines date, but find alas, they are not stereotypical people lol. All feel good with a little angst and lots of soft sweetness.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo
Series: Grumpy reylo holidays [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1634596
Comments: 5
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've decided to do a Holiday series filled with these two 'celebrating' each holiday to varying success (short and sweet, one and two shots). I'm not sure yet, but I may do a Saint Patrick's Day one, but I'm definitely doing a Passover one! Rey is going to meet Ben's family for the first time in the best possible circumstances; starving, late at night, and under the influence of a bunch of wine! Those of you who celebrate Passover know what I'm talking about lol. And if you, like Rey, do not know what you are in for, then I hope it will not only be amusing, touching, but also educational.
> 
> Also I wrote over 6k in two days, and this is unbeta'd, so it's probably shite and I apologize.  
And now, the fic that was promised.

Ben wove his way through the desks of Rey’s work floor, red heart shaped box of chocolates (closer to a cornellian shade) and red rose in hand (more of a carmine). Estella had always demanded them, so it seemed the right thing to do. At least, he hoped it would be enough. Now he wasn’t sure if his simple plan for a lunch date would actually excite her. She deserved so much more, what had he been thinking? Estella always wore beautiful tight fitting dresses and arranged elegant events. The last time he’d seen her was when she hosted a Valentines dinner party on the Snoke family yacht. He’d been late and she’d been furious. He could see her blue eyes flashing venom at him, her sharpened crimson nails tapping her champagne flute as she smiled and welcomed the guests. She’d been wearing that-_ nope _, not thinking of it.

Maybe he’d surprise Rey with dinner to make up for his half-assed attempt at romance. There was no way he’d be able to get a reservation anywhere, so he’d have to cook something last minute, but what? 

Out of the corner of his eyes he saw other similar gifts of candies, flowers, and plushies of kittens and puppies with bows around their necks, just like how Estella put holiday bows on Scout’s collar. The little scruffy terrier usually managed to rip them off by the end of the evening, but Ben had always tried to keep them on him as long as possible for Estella’s sake. He missed that little scrapper. 

There were red heart strung tinsel streamers climbing like poison ivy in some people’s cubicles. He kept his head tucked, hair hiding his face, and tried to ignore the gaudy decorations and avoid eye contact with anyone. He spied the back of Rey’s shining chestnut locks and made a beeline for her.

“Alright, yeah, we’ll bring it home tonight probably,” Rey said, bent over her phone and talking in hushed tones. “Thanks for everything, Maz. Ok, bye bye.” 

Maz? His landlord, Maz?

Rey hung up and immediately began texting.

Ben’s phone pinged. She was probably admonishing him for being late.

“Hi, sorry,” he muttered behind her.

Rey jumped. “Oh! You scared me,” she chuckled, hazel eyes twinkling and a big smile and those adorable dimples breaking out across her face. She stood up on her tip-toes to give him a peck on the lips.

Ben stood rigidly, unable to relax his pursed lips into the kiss as the reflection of tinsel blinded him. 

“Something wrong?” Rey said settling slowly back on her heels.

“No, I’m fine. Were, were you talking to my landlord?”

“What?”

“On the phone just now, I thought I heard you say ‘Maz’?”

“Oh, that,” Rey quickly looked away and bent over to grab her coat and the backpack she used as a purse, her ass still managing to look delectably peachy even in her slightly frumpy and probably one size too large beige pantsuit. “I didn’t know that was your landlord's name. Just talking to IT.”

Ben smirked. “But aren’t you an engineer?”

Rey batted his arm playfully. “I’m a software engineer, I don’t do the physical stuff.” Then she grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the rats maze to the door.

“An engineer who can’t fix her own computer. What kind of riffraff are they hiring these days?”

“Hush.”

The elevator arrived.

“Maybe they’d hire me,” he grumbled

“The company probably already has graphic designers who break their own computers.”

“That was one time, and-”

“Lucky you’re dating me or you’d never have made that deadline,” she teased, looking back at him as they got in the elevator. “Besides do you think you could honestly work in an office? With so many people, having to listen to them complain about ‘not doing their jobs’ or their ‘sad suburban lives’, as you so eloquently put it?”

“Hmm, probably not. But I do get tired of freelance hours.”

The doors slid shut and Rey punched in the floor number to the parking garage, her hand finding its way up to hold his arm. She leaned against him, then looked down and spied his opposite hand. “Are those chocolates for me?” 

“Oh, uh, yeah, here.” He could feel his ears warming as he held out the stupid box with the rose clutched in his fingers above it. The clashing magenta font on the cornelian cardboard was an affront to his very soul, but it said there were milk chocolate truffles among the assorted candies, and he knew she liked those, so he bought them. 

Grabbing the box with a giddy little stamp of her feet she ignored the rose and immediately began reading the contents. “Let’s share after lunch maybe?”

“Oh, ok.” He seriously doubted he’d get any of that chocolate. “You probably have to get back to work afterward, and honestly I’m falling behind, so I’ll see you for dinner I guess-”

The elevator doors opened and they stepped out and made their way to his car. It was a short drive to the restaurant. There was still a bit of snow piled in drifts that hadn’t finished melting yet, but today the sun was out. The ducks were probably happy to have their pond unfrozen.

Ben had hoped the place would be more empty for lunch than dinner, which was why he’d suggested it, and Rey had seemed pleased at the time when she’d agreed. It was still pretty packed though. Ben hunched his shoulders and followed Rey as the hostess took them to their table.

Rey began talking about something but Ben couldn’t make himself focus. All the shiny red and pink heart shaped balloons were grating on his nerves, the overwhelming smell of rose bouquets on each table nauseating. It reminded him of the last time he’d seen Estella. He tried to push down the memory, but the anger and grief and fear were still suffocating, even if he managed to keep the images at bay.

“So then I told Rose I’d have you pick it out. Hey, earth to Ben?” she put a hand on his forearm that rested on the table.

“What? Oh yeah, ok.”

Raising an eyebrow she smirked knowingly. “You didn’t hear a word I just said.”

“No, no I did-”

“If you had you’d be jumping for joy at the fact that I’m actually going to let you redecorate my apartment. Rose can’t stand the green couch even over skype, and she’s coming to stay in two weeks, so you have to at least help me find a new couch by then.”

“Ugh, finally, yes,” he rubbed his face. “That thing is hideous.”

“You know I hate buying things new because of evil corporations, yada yada, but I will let you take me to Ikea just this once,” she pointed at him gravely, “so savor it.”

“Ok,” he tried to chuckle, but it sounded just as forced as he felt.

Rey rubbed his hand. “But really, what’s going on with you? You’ve hardly said anything all day, and you’ve been pretty quiet all week too. Do you want to leave?”

“No, no, I’m fine, really.”

She didn’t look like she believed him as she withdrew her hand when the waiter arrived. Judging by the look of his youthful face dotted with light acne, short straw colored hair sticking up like he hadn’t brushed it in a week, and the dark circles under his eyes, Ben guessed he was probably a college student just finishing mid-terms. 

Passing out the menus and glasses of water, he listed the valentines specials in an exhausted monotone. This included a chocolate cake slice big enough for two that made Rey’s eyes practically bug out of her head as she ordered it enthusiastically saying they would definitely be having that after she figured out what she wanted food wise.

“Better make it two. She will eat enough cake for at least four people,” Ben said as he perused the menu without looking at the waiter.

“Hey! I can share!”

“Yeah, but you don’t want to. I’ll share half of mine with you and you can eat your cake-for-two and still feel like a good samaritan, how’s that?”

The waiter raised his eyebrows as he wrote the order down. “Well it is pretty good cake. I’ll be back later, take your time.”

And he left them alone. 

“I’ll pay for the cake,” Rey announced, greedily eyeing her meal options.

Sighing Ben said, “If you never let me pay for yours, you don’t have to pay for mine.”

“Please, just let me?”

“Will you let me buy you lunch then?”

“No,” she huffed.

Ben shook his head and decided to get the steak. “I don’t know why I even ask.”

“I like paying for things myself, because-”

Ben reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “It’s ok, I don’t need a reason.”

“It’s, it’s just that. Well, I never had money, ever, not until literally this year when I got this job, despite still having to pay off my college debts. And, I like being able to do nice things for people for once.”

“Rey, look at me,” Ben said. Her big round eyes tentatively met his. “It’s ok. And I really appreciate what you do for me, I do. I just don’t know what to do for you sometimes is all.”

“But, you do so much for me.”

“No I don’t,” Ben hunched down in his seat as another couple walked passed them, the woman hanging onto her partners arm with deadly looking acrylic nails, her tight red dress leaving little to the imagination despite it’s length down to her mid-calf.

Shaking her head vehemently Rey countered, “Not true. I like, how you always text me good night, and just hold my hand when we walk and feed the ducks, or cuddle me on my horrendous green couch, even when you complain it looks like the 70’s died and I made it’s rotting carcass into a piece of furniture that you’ll probably catch a disease from.”

“Really? That’s all-” He looked at her, shocked.

“Yes! You really didn’t think that was enough?” she drew her eyebrows together and looked at him bewildered, a slight exasperated wrinkle on her forehead.

Shrugging and feeling his ears warm, Ben replied, “Well, I mean that’s just what you do, you know?”

“Not everyone,” Rey said, her eyes slightly haunted, looking into a past Ben hadn’t been privy to, yet. 

“True,” he agreed, battling to subdue memories of his father, wiping a hand over his face to keep back the ghosts of their pasts as they pulled the silence taught.

They’d only been going out since Christmas, barely two months. It seemed Rey was about as reluctant as he was to talk about certain things in previous lives before they met. Maybe it was odd, but they both found that comforting. Neither of them pushed the other and they were content to live in the present. 

Now she was a ray of light in his life he couldn’t imagine living without. His mother would roll her eyes if she ever heard him pronounce something so stereotypically cheesy. And he was sure Rey probably didn’t feel the same about him as he did for her in that short amount of time, and he didn’t want to put on any unreasonable pressure or scare her off just yet. 

He almost snorted as he sipped his water, thinking of the last e-mail he’d read from his mother, reiterating what she had said to him since he was born. He could even hear her raspy voice; _ “Benjamin, you’re just so passionate, but maybe you need to tone it down outside of your art? Life isn’t an art project. You don’t want to ruin it with this girl, like Estella.” _

He hadn’t read any of her e-mails for two weeks after that. When he did finally send her a reply two days ago just to get her to stop filling up his inbox, he only talked about work. She didn’t need to know any more about his personal life. But a piece of him wondered if she might be right. 

Materializing out of the hubbub of the sickeningly decorated restaurant came the waiter, a slight sheen of sweat across his forehead.

Rey gathered their menus and handed them over. “I’ll take the fettuccine alfredo with chicken, extra garlic bread, and Italian dressing on the side salad, and he’s having the medium rare steak and a baked potato with asparagus and a Caesar salad?” She looked questioningly at Ben.

“Uh, yeah,” he couldn’t help the little tug on the corner of his lips.

It struck him all of a sudden, that she knew him well enough she could order for him, yet didn’t know anything about his family, other than that he didn’t get along with them and that his mother was Jewish, which she’d only found out when she asked about the Mezuzah on his front door. His mother had tearfully handed it to him while gripping him with her tiny arms that threatened to crack his lumbar, her face pressed into his navel. That was right before he moved across the country. Not knowing what else to do with the modest, hand-carved wooden box filled with the prayer scroll he had never read, he’d attached it inside the frame of the front door one day when he’d gone on an organization rampage after he couldn’t concentrate on work because of all the clutter from living out of boxes at his new condo. Luckily Maz had seemed ok with the fact he’d screwed it into her door frame without asking after he’d abashedly explained. He shoved the memory back down and shut it with packing tape.

The waiter nodded. “Coming right up. Do you two want one of our holiday bottles of wine with that?”

“I’ve got to work after so no thank you.” Ben shook his head. “Unless you want any?”

“I’m good.”

The waiter nodded and walked away.

Ben rubbed a finger through the condensation of his glass, creating a pattern of concentric circles.

“We can get our food to go,” Rey offered in a soft voice. “There’s still time to eat at my place if you-”

Sighing Ben rubbed his damp fingers through his hair. He could not blow this. “Sorry, just um, tired.” 

He looked up at her and tried to smile. “I do want to eat here. With you. Just, um. All the decorations, it’s so hallmark. You know originally it was a celebration of a Saint’s martyrdom. It didn’t become about love until Chaucer wrote about birds picking their mates in February, hence the term ‘love bird’. Some people think it was a Christianization of either the Roman holidays of Lupercalia, on February fifteenth, which was a fertility holiday that entailed sacrificing a dog and a goat and using strips of their bloody hides to whip women to mark them with the blood in order to bless them with fertility. Or if they were pregnant, with a healthy child. Or some think it might have been another holy day to Juno, the goddess of-”

Covering her mouth with her hands Rey giggled, “How do you know all this?”

Ben snapped his mouth shut. _ Too passionate. _

“I, um, read,” he rubbed his nose. “Sorry to bore you. How, how was your day?”

A divet formed between Rey’s eyebrows and she cocked her head, brushing her overgrown bob behind her ear thoughtfully. His mom and Estella would say it was starting to look shaggy. He realized he didn’t care though, and would like her hair at any length. He just loved the rich color and feeling of the silky strands between his fingers.

“Fine,” Rey shrugged. “Work is work, you know. But work_ is _actually boring. I was mostly looking forward to enjoying lunch with you, but you don’t seem like you’re enjoying yourself at all.”

Pulling on the roots of his hair Ben took a big breath. _ Keep it together. _ “I am, ok, I am-”

Rey snapped up to her feet.

_ Oh no. I really did it this time. I knew a girl like this wouldn’t last long with me. _

The waiter appeared at Rey’s shoulder.

“Is everything alright, ma’am?” he said, shifting to balance the tray with their food on it.

“Yes,” Rey smiled. Ben recognized it as her professional smile, the one she used on business calls or when the auto dealer thought she didn’t know anything about cars. “Can we get all this boxed to go?”

“Oh, um,” the poor dumbfounded waiter seemed to panic, trying to figure out what to do. Angry girlfriend was not in his job description. “We could find you a different table if you’d like, somewhere quieter if you-”

“That’s ok, we just have to get going, this is a really lovely establishment, we’d love to come back another time. Can we get the check?”

The waiter looked defeated but plastered on a professional smile to rival even Rey’s and nodded. “Yes, can do. Be right back,” then turned on his heel back to the kitchens shaking his head slightly.

And all Ben could do was sit there, his hair falling in to cover his face, hunching down further and further into his seat and watch the train wreck go up in smoke. No, not even a wreck. The tracks were completely gone. The train was flying off a cliff. Probably into the Atlantic. There were more storms brewing there than the “peaceful” Pacific coast. Yes, the train was definitely falling into a hurricane.

But then Rey walked over to his side of the table and started humming what he thought was one of those Disney songs she always listened to, running her fingers through his hair, pulling it away from his eyes and gently scratching his scalp with her short nails covered in chipped nail polish. They were green today. Not red.

They stayed like that in silence except for Rey’s humming until the waiter got back with a paper bag filled with their food and the check, which she snatched up, signed, put her visa card inside and pushed back into the hands of the waiter before Ben could even try to move.

“Thank you very much,” she smiled as the poor kid trotted off.

“Rey, I’m, I’m so sorry,” he finally breathed.

“Don’t be. I have something else planned anyway.”

_ Oh. Here it comes, the inevitable ‘it's not you it’s me’. _ Ben braced himself.

“No offense, but I was more looking forward to giving you your present than going out to eat.” She leaned her hip against his shoulder and began humming and playing with his hair again.

“I’m sorry, I should have made sure you actually wanted to-”

“Nothing to be sorry for, you know how much I like food,” she smiled down at him blithely, twirly a lock around her index finger. The frazzled waiter handed her back her card and she thanked him, tucked it away in her wallet that she slid into her frumpy work slacks as she began to walk to the exit. 

It took a second for Ben’s mind to realize what just happened, and that this gorgeous amazing woman was walking away not to leave him behind, but with the expectation that he would follow. She was already halfway out the door before he pushed back his chair and raced to catch up, not even noticing the shocked looks of the other patrons as he charged like a bull trying to escape the china shop.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So yeah I somehow managed to write over 6k in two days... how tf (its unbeta'd shit probably lol).
> 
> I named Estella Snoke (Ben's abusive ex) after Estella Havisham from Great Expectations (one of my fav Dickens stories). Nobody would get that, so I'm telling you now lol. She's an excellent villianess, beautiful and fashionable, enviable and manipulative, a cold as ice high society girl. That's how I envisioned Estella Snoke, so I thought it fit. 
> 
> She won't ever be the main focus in these fics because this is just meant to be Ben and Rey being all cute and grumpy on holidays together lol, but I actually spent a few hours coming up with back stories and motivations for everyone, not just for this little two shot, but also so I could have more to work with moving forward on other holidays. 
> 
> Feel free to comment any prompts or tropes you'd like to possibly see in the future in this series and I'll do my best to see if I can work them in somehow! Thanks for reading and for the kudos and comments! They really mean the world

Ben caught up to Rey at his car where she was waiting patiently by the passenger’s door. Raising the key fob, he caught her smiling at him as the car chirped when it unlocked. He raced to open the door for her but she was already inside and buckling her seatbelt by the time he reached her, so he shut her door and crossed the front to go to his side.

He pulled out onto the busy city street, a car honking in protest, which Rey flipped off without looking up from her phone, her face a passive mask of elegant uncouthness, making Ben bite his lip as he began their way back to her place. What would he do without this woman?

However at the intersection that turned down her street she stopped him and said, “Go left here.”

“Ok,” he said under his breath and followed her directions. His stomach still held a lead ball of dread, but thus far Rey didn’t seem to be showing any signs of anger. His spirits got lighter and lighter as they drove. What was she up to?

“And left up here again,” she instructed, pointing. “Now at the intersection take a right, continue down the street until you reach the stop sign, and then another left.”

Swallowing, Ben did as she bade him. 

“Ok, park on the street here.”

Finally mustering up the courage Ben asked, “Why?”

“It’s a surprise,” she flashed him a mischievous grin, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Will I like the surprise?” He asked as he parallel parked.

“You better,” she warned, “I worked too damn hard for this.”

Deciding to love whatever it was she had picked out, and not to complain, Ben locked his car and swooped around to open Rey’s door before she could do it herself.

“You know you don’t have to do that? Especially in traffic,” she said, slipping her hand into his and drawing him to the sidewalk.

“I know. Bad habit. My mother and her butler would have my head if I didn’t, all their years of etiquette lessons that I absolutely hated.”

“Then rebel. Be a bastard and a heathen. I’ve found it works quite well for me,” she shrugged. “Ok, now. Close your eyes. No peeking!”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Hey,” she chastised, “I thought we were being heathens.”

“Sorry.”

“You are far too polite for your own good. Ok, open your eyes as I open the door.”

Blinking tentatively into the harsh fluorescent lighting Ben smelled the sharp smell of bleach before his eyes focused. “Um, are we at… why are we at an animal shelter?” 

“I’m getting you a dog, duh,” she said pulling him across the lobby to the front desk where she asked to go back to the kennels while Ben stared at the top of her head.

“Rey, um, look I really appreciate that you’d want to do that for me, but I haven’t talked to my landlord or paid a pet deposit, I can’t just get a-”

“You can and you will. I already talked with Maz, and I paid your deposit. All you have to do is sign the paperwork when we get back.” 

Ben spluttered as she began dragging him passed kennels filled with dogs of all sizes, colors, coats, and ages, some wagging their tails and others laying down. 

“Rey, you shouldn’t pay for legal stuff without signing the paperwork at the same time.”

“Stop your wingeing and pick out a damn dog,” she growled, pulling him passed more and more puppy eyes.

The place was immaculately clean with soft classical music playing in the background to keep the animals relaxed and quiet. No barking or whimpering. Some were hiding out in beds behind barriers away from the human eyes, others out in plain view napping or chewing on toys. The younger ones usually came up quite exuberantly, begging for attention. Some of the more mature dogs approached calmly and curiously sniffed through the bars.

“So,” Rey stopped abruptly in the aisle, “Go on. You lead the way. You know more about dogs than I do.”

Ben ran his fingers through his hair. “Well, I’m not exactly an expert. I’ve only had two, and well, my dad did most of the work when I was a kid. Though Estella wasn’t exactly the-” he stopped himself. Valentine's Day was  _ not _ the time to talk about ex’s.

“Scout, wasn’t it?” Rey said, cocking her head. “That was the name of your little dog?”

“Um, yes.” He was surprised she remembered. He had tried not to talk too much about anything that had to do with his ex during their burgeoning relationship.

“You said you had to leave him behind when you moved. Did she keep him?”

Ben swallowed. “Yes, she did.”

“It’s ok. You can talk about her. You won’t hurt my feelings or anything. I can’t exactly relate, I’ve never really had a long term relationship, but you can talk about her and I can listen.”

“Rey, I,” he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “It’s more that I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to think about her anymore.”

“But that doesn’t mean you can’t talk about Scout. And I can tell by the way you talk about him, and the way you look at every dog we pass in the park when we feed the ducks, that you really loved him. So I thought. Well maybe it’s stupid. I just thought, maybe you could get another one.” Suddenly her eyes went wide and she waved her palms in a panicked apology, “N-not, not to replace him. Just so you could tell him all the things you can’t tell me.”

Ben tried to think of something to say but nothing came to mind, so he bent down and picked Rey up and smashed his lips against hers. It was totally unromantic and she let out a surprised little ‘oomph’ sound.

“Excuse me.” 

They jumped apart.

Hands clasped in front of her, a slightly ruffled middle aged woman looking back and forth between them, then stepped smartly passed with a leash and collar in her hand. Her blonde hair was streaked with a few silver strands, the cut neat to her shoulders and fluffed up in the air as she passed them.

“Oh, um sorry,” Rey muttered before elbowing Ben in the ribs and whispering, “I knew there was a heathen in you.”

Ben felt like his ears were positively singeing his hair, almost surprised there wasn’t smoke swirling around his head.

After taking a breath and biting her lips, Rey finally piped up, “We’re looking for a dog. Our first, well, my first. It’s really his. Ben’s had dogs before. But, anyway are there any here that you’d recommend?”

The woman paused and turned back around, with a welcoming expression, her blue volunteer name tag proclaiming her name was Sandy. “Well that depends on your lifestyle. What kind of housing do you have? How much do you work?”

“I live in a small condo but I work from home,” Ben said looking up from his hair. He indicated Rey with a nod of his head, “We usually walk every morning together anyway, there’s a park near us, and I like to go for a run either at lunch or before dinner, so exercise won’t be a problem.”

“But you aren’t into any other sports?”

“I lift?”

“Oh I meant dog sports like dock diving, rally, lure coursing, frisbee. You ever tried those?” Sandy asked, beckoning them to follow her.

“I haven’t heard of any of those besides frisbee honestly,” Ben said ducking his head.

“Alright. So, if I’m correct, you’re looking for a dog to keep up with you but can also nap at your feet while you work maybe?”

Just imagining that made Ben’s chest warm.

“I’ve got two I think you’ll like. Ones medium, about 50lbs, a lab mix, only a year old and still very much a puppy. The other’s pretty large, 70lbs. You have experience with bully breeds?”

“Like pitbulls and boxers?”

“Yes. We got a pitbull rottie mix last month. Very sweet and smart, but sensitive. I would not recommend aversive training methods on him. He’s big though, and well, bully prejudice” the woman shrugged sadly. “He’s just a big softy though. He’s about three and knows a few basic commands, sit, down, and touch. Not his name though. He’s been good with kids so far but not cats. ”

“We don’t have either so that’s not a problem.”

The woman hmmphed and said sagely. “All young people your age say that, but you all have kids eventually, so be sure your dog is good with kids even if you don’t have any for another ten years. Accidents happen.”

Rey was blushing and Ben was lagging farther and farther behind until the woman stopped. “Here he is.” 

A large boxy headed dog with smooth umber brown fur trotted up to the bars, wagging his tail with wild abandon, his whole body wiggling. He sneezed when he reached them. Ben crouched down to his level and held out the back of his hand a hair's breadth from the bars for it to snuffle with an eagerly twitching black nose. Now that the dog was closer he saw traces of burnt sienna and ochre in his coat.

“Hello boy,” he murmured. A grin began to stretch Ben’s lips as the dog started trying to stick his big slobbery tongue through the wire to lick him. 

He was so caught up in the moment he didn’t hear Rey ask Sandy, “What’s his name?”

“Fettuccine.”

Rey shook her head and began laughing in earnest, knocking Ben out of his trance.

“What’s so funny?” Sandy asked, a slight upward turn to her one side of her mouth.

“That’s just what I ordered for lunch.” 

“Is it really?” the woman joined Rey with a polite tinkling titter.

“What?” Ben looked upwards from where’s been completely focused, confusion pinching his eyebrows.

“The dog’s name is Fettuccine. That’s what I had for lunch, remember? I- I think it’s fate,” she shrugged, beaming at him.

“Well, I guess so,” Ben nodded, then stood up and asked. “Where can I sign the adoption papers?” 

~~~

It took awhile to unload all the dog gear they’d bought, which included a treat pouch with a clicker and a book about clicker training, various treats that cost far too much, poo bags in a little clip on dispenser, a collapsible crate, a bed, bowls, a topple toy, rope toy and tennis balls, a packet of Himalayan yak butter chews (which they assured him at the pet store were low mess and low calorie. But most importantly low-odor), nyla bone, a simple black raincoat, and a few bags of different high quality kibble for the dog to sample. Unfortunately the dog was left pacing and whining in the back of the car while they walked back and forth unloading the trunk into the condo. He hadn’t been able to settle down during the ride either, he seemed so happy and excited to be going home.

Just as Ben opened up the back seat to call the dog out into the driveway, his landlord appeared. Maz was a diminutive looking woman at first glance, just under five feet tall, with wide set round eyes hugely magnified by thick lenses. It was difficult to determine just how old she was, because her rich dark skin held hardly a wrinkle, but her tightly curled hair that she kept shaved close to her scalp was definitely graying, and her timeless stories seemed to go back centuries.

“Young Solo,” she said, waving a tiny hand holding an envelope as she marched purposefully over to them. “So this is the giant beast you bring home to me? I could ride that thing,” she proclaimed, putting her hands on her rounded hips. 

The dog began to struggle, leaping to the end of his leash to reach the new guest. 

“S-sorry Maz,” Ben grunted, trying to reign the dog in. “Hold on. Come here boy,” he waved a treat in front of the dogs nose to redirect his attention. It took awhile, but after he was sitting and eating treats out of Ben’s hand he beckoned the tiny woman over. “Thus far he seems to be pretty friendly, but you never know. Rey, can you give her a treat for him?”

Rey reached into the crinkling bag he held out to her and walked over to Maz with a handful, who, instead of walking closer, threw a treat onto the ground halfway between her and the now whining dog that was stamping his paws and struggling to stay sitting.

As soon as the treat landed he lunged and gobbled it up.

“See?” Maz said, raising an eyebrow meaningfully. 

Ben nodded, understanding her without words.

She threw a few more treats on the ground until he calmed down and eventually sat, still wagging his tail but much calmer. Then Maz took a few closer steps, and threw a few more treats down before holding out an empty hand for him to sniff and lick before handing him a treat and scratching the side of his clunky head.

“How’d you know how to do that?” Rey asked.”He’s been so excited ever since we left the shelter. This is the calmest I’ve seen him.”

“Once upon a time I raised and trained Catahoula Leopard dogs to hunt wild boar in the swamps of Louisiana,” she said matter of factly, the dog’s eyes drooping as she gently scratched his chest.

Both Rey and Ben looked at each other with shocked and intrigued expressions, and then back to the tiny woman who’s head seemed barely taller that the dog falling asleep in front of her.

“Why’d you stop?” Rey asked.

“Cities spread out, there was less wilderness, the boar got too small and I got bored. Still got the trophies packed up somewhere. So, what are you naming this beast?” she inquired, finally looking up at the shocked young couple before her as drool began to drip out of the corners of the dogs mouth.

Ben frowned slightly.

Rey began, “Well, his name at the shelter was Fettuccine-” 

“Moose,” Ben suddenly said, walking up to his dog and giving his ears a rub. “His name is Moose.”

Maz pursed her lips and nodded, “I like it. Well Moose,” she gave his broad chest one last pat, “You came to the right place. Now get in there and whip this young man into shape. Oh and Solo, here’s the paper’s that just need your signature, Rey’s filled them out. You can drop them by in the morning, I’ve got a date with an old lover I haven’t seen since you were diapers.” She handed him the envelope and turned to march away before turning back. “Actually, make it lunch time. You’re still too young and innocent to see certain things in life.”

Rey began to laugh behind her hands, but Ben just continued petting Moose with a smirk. He’d grown used to her antics these past four months since he moved in, even if at first it had been more than a bit of a shock.

“I’m going to take him for a potty run around the block before we head in. You can take the car if you need to get back to work.” Ben offered, holding out his keys to Rey.

She shook her head and came to rise on her tip- toes to plant a kiss on his cheek. “Nope, got the day off.”

“But your boss is a such a-” Ben was taken aback.

“Told you I worked too hard for this. Let’s go.” Her grin widened to show off her big sparkling white teeth and creating those adorable dimples he loved so much.

Bending down, his hair obscuring their faces from the noise of the world like a black silken curtain, and planted a kiss on each of her dimples before delicately drawing her bottom lip between his own. She smiled against him and deepened the kiss until he pulled away slightly and breathed, “Thank you.”

“Thank you,” she repeated and squeezed his hand, leaning forward to give him another kiss.

However Moose took this moment to tug towards a particularly interesting smell, so they reluctantly broke apart and began to walk, following as his twitching nose strained to sniff every scent, periodically stopping to hike his leg to urinate on anything that rose above the ground. Ben tried to keep him off the neighbors cars though. They reached the end of the block and were about to turn around when a large Subaru drove up and parked by Maz’s office. 

The driver got out, rising up, up, up. Ben froze, face blanching bone white.

“What is it? You look like you’ve seen a ghost?” Rey’s eyes filled with concern.

“Awright ya wee fucker?” The man’s Glaswegian brogue called out through his impenetrable beard and mop of long shaggy hair that nearly obscured his face.

“Uncle Chewy?”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
